Where to watch a Shuttle launch from (retired)
From Nasatweetup
Contents |
If You WON'T Be in Florida
- United States --
- Washington, D.C. area - The Smithsonian @airandspace museum will screen NASA TV at both the main museum on the Mall in DC and at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. Everyone is welcome to attend and watch! Unofficial Tweetup Details
- Huntsville, Alabama - Space Camp Tweetup [Registration CLOSED] - Follow 16 of @SpaceCampUSA's Twitter followers who won access to a 2-day tweetup in Huntsville, Alabama, coinciding with the final Space Shuttle launch.
- Northern California - [Registration STILL OPEN] - Chabot Space & Science Center will host a launch viewing event. Tickets are $10 and includes launch viewing as well as all exhibits. There will be wifi enabled viewing areas within the center to tweet the launch! Articles: Oakland North and Contra Costa Times
- Northern California - [Registration CLOSED] - Register to view the launch free at the NASA Ames Research Center, which will host a viewing event at the Ames Exploration Center. More tickets will open soon for free viewing from the NASA Ames Conference Center.
- Southern California [ Registration OPEN] - Register for the The Final Space Shuttle Launch Viewing Event being held July 8 at 7:30 A.M. PDT in Pasadena!
- Outside the United States --
- Quebec, Canada - [Registration CLOSED] - Follow some of Canadian Space Agency's followers as they attend the Canadian Space Agency #CSATweetup coinciding with the final Space Shuttle launch.
- Netherlands [Registration STILL OPEN] - Holland Space Center @HollandSpaceCen is organizing a presentation on the Space Shuttle era, followed by watching the launch live on a big screen, through the NASA TV HD feed. RSVP, check out the website for details.
- Anywhere in the world --
- Spacevidcast.com on your computer, mobile device or Roku player -- LIVE STS-135 launch coverage direct from the press site begins at ____ EDT July 8. Tweet (@SpaceQuestions), email (spacequestions@spacevidcast.com) or Skype (SpaceQuestions) any questions you have!
- NASA TV on your television, computer, mobile device or Roku player. On the web at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv & http://www.ustream.tv/nasatelevision & http://www.ustream.com/nasahdtv (HD)
- SpaceFlightNow.com
If You WILL Be in Florida
If you have a pass/ticket for the NASA Causeway
There's an unofficial Causeway Tweetup for STS-135. To register, follow @CausewayTweetup & send a mention that you'll be tweeting from the NASA Causeway. There is also a Facebook event set up so you can indicate your participation. See Also: Twitter List
If you don't have a Causeway or other launch viewing pass
Space View Park Tweetup for STS-135 [Registration OPEN until July 4]
Sincere thanks to @JerryWS98 and other SpaceTweeps for pulling together to organize this non-NASA sponsored opportunity for folks!
- Free Event Registration form: http://bit.ly/lAQvsp
- Twitter account: @SVPTweetup
- Facebook group: http://on.fb.me/lqz6Hi
- Flickr group: http://bit.ly/iBMGoZ
- Google group http://bit.ly/muNjK9
Space View Park in Titusville is an excellent location for launch viewing. However, try and get there very early (as in 3am, perhaps even consider camping out due to this being the last launch), and grab a spot under the covered dock. It'll be essential with the summer sun and heat, plus you can usually clear out a comfortably-sized space for you and your party before the area gets packed to the gills. Bring a cooler with lots of food and water as well, but there is a Burger King and deli/bistro/ice cream shop nearby in a pinch. Spaceview offers a tremendous view of the launch, from lift-off all the way past SRB separation. Oh yeah, and you get to see the pad and the VAB illuminated as well. Pretty sweet sight.
Other Local Viewing Options
- In-Depth Area Viewing Guides
- Shuttle Launch Viewing wiki
- This site has exhaustive info: http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html
- Incredible guide, updated less than a month ago (May 2011), its just all in plain text: http://www.sworld.com.au/steven/space/shuttle/guide.txt
- @JonathanESmith's blog post - http://jonathanesmith.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-see-last-shuttle-launch-sts-135.html
- http://www.lauderdalechristmas.com/nasa-shuttle-launch.htm - search for the text "Tips and strategies: Best locations to view a Space Shuttle Launch"
- Specific Locations
- There are at least a dozen public parks that provide some view of a Shuttle launch:
- Google map of free Shuttle launch viewing locations from the Orlando Sentinel: http://bit.ly/grrxhg
- More information about the parks via NASA's website: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/view/view_shuttle.html
- There are several locations that offer camping, including Jetty Park in Port Canaveral, and Land Yacht Harbor in Melbourne.
- Head to Titusville, Florida! Here's what the STS-131 launch was like from there (video) - http://t.co/HIvuMK6
- More in-depth info about Titusville viewing is available here on launchwiki.com
- You might have to get there early for a spot, but the bars in the Cove at Cape Canaveral (Fishlips, Grills, etc) all have 'deck seating' overlooking the canal to the north. You can see the VAB to the north from their decks.
